To DarkElf6 and RedEyesDarknessDragonLady, thank you both, and I'm so sorry. It wasn't supposed to take this long to update. Bloody life got in the way (again).

This, I think, needs to be said concerning Yugi and Yami's relationship in this story: it can be taken two ways. I've tried (and I think I've succeeded) to make it as ambiguous as possible. Here are the two readings that are possible:

a) Yami's beginning to feel paternal. Or, if you'd prefer,

b) Yami's got a crush on Yugi.

So, you can take it either way, I think. If you think the ambiguity about the relationship will detract from the story, and think I should just stick with one of the above directions, let me know. Either way, it doesn't really affect the plot too drastically.

Chapter Five: In Sunshine…

Even the birds had stopped singing, and all of a sudden she was wide-awake. Above her head, a few leaves whispered; the sound was so loud in the silence. She sat very still.

A cat, it was a cat in the tree. The birds had stopped singing because they were scared of the cat. Daddy was resting...

Something hit the ground beside her.

There wasn't even time for her to scream.

Much to his disgust, Yami was woken in the early hours of the following morning when a portion of his mattress, just beside his left elbow, sank a little. Someone poked his shoulder.

'Are you awake?'

Yami groaned and slapped the hand away from his shoulder. He buried his face in his pillow and drew his sheets up to his chin. The hand was back at his shoulder almost immediately; the gentle shaking became more urgent.

'I know you're awake,' Yami groaned inwardly as he identified the voice as belonging to Yugi. 'Come on, you have to get up. Ryou said so.'

Grudgingly, Yami lifted his head from his pillow, bracing himself on his elbows. He glared at Yugi with all the venom he could muster.

Yugi giggled and tugged gently at the sheets. 'You have to get up,' he repeated, seemingly oblivious to Yami's most poisonous glare. 'Ryou said he'd make us breakfast if you did.'

'Why should I care that Ryou's making us breakfast?' Yami demanded groggily, yanking his sheets back over his shoulders. 'Why can't you just make your own?'

'I can't cook,' Yugi said blithely. 'Besides, he's making pancakes. Come on!'

He took hold of Yami's sheets again and pulled sharply.

'Stop that,' Yami growled. He snatched a corner of his sheets and yanked them back toward him, toppling Yugi in the process. 'Go away. I like sleeping in.'

'And I like eating pancakes,' Yugi countered, grabbing Yami by the wrists and dragging him bodily from the bed.

For a minute, Yami was too surprised to react. Then, grumbling, he hauled himself to his feet and pointedly brushed himself down.

'Fine,' he said, voice clipped.

'I'll make it up to you,' Yugi promised happily, performing a kind of pirouette and dashing out of the room. Seconds later, Yami heard the sounds of his feet clattering on the stairs. He followed at a more dignified pace.

When Yami arrived in Ryou's kitchen, Yugi was already halfway through a stack of pancakes. To Yami's satisfaction, Bakura was watching him in something akin to mild horror.

'How can something so small eat so much?'

Ryou, glancing up from his newspaper, looked from Yugi (still munching industriously at his pancakes) to Bakura (frozen in place with his empty fork half raised) and back again. He shrugged, and turned his attention to Yami as he took his seat.

'We're going out today,' he said. 'I've run out of a few things, and it wouldn't hurt you three to spend some time outside.'

'In the sun?' asked Yugi.

'Sunlight doesn't hurt vampires,' Yami explained, while Bakura laughed. 'We're only semi-nocturnal. Like cats, I suppose.' He turned to Ryou. 'Where exactly are we going?'

Ryou shifted a little uneasily in his seat. 'The nearest lithouèn town,' he didn't look at Bakura as he dropped his fork with a clatter, and kept his face carefully averted from Yami's disbelieving stare. Instead, he spoke directly to Yugi. 'Ènyuil, it's called. It's... been a few decades since I was there last. It's about three hours' walk there and back. I know you only really started getting up and about today, but I think, if we take things slowly, it shouldn't put too much--'

Yami was the first to break out of his daze.

'Are you insane?' he demanded. 'You, an exile, want to take three vampires, one of whom hasn't even learned basic self defense,into a lithouèn town?'

'They'll lynch us,' said Bakura. He picked up his fork and continued eating, as though this was a common occurrence for him.

'We'll be lucky if all they do is lynch us,' snorted Yami. 'What could possibly be that important?'

'To see what we can learn,' answered Ryou simply. 'Something's going to happen, and I plan to find out what. You're coming because it will affect you.' He paused and took a deep breath. 'Besides, there are some things I need that you just can't buy around the human world.'

'We're not--!' Yami began, but Yugi cut across him.

'I'd like to see ...that place,' he said mildly.

Yami narrowed his eyes. 'You said that you'd make up for waking me this morning,' he said lowly. 'You can make it up to me by staying here.'

'Wouldn't you like it more if I saved that favour for another day?' asked Yugi sweetly. Bakura cackled wickedly.

'No. You're not going.'

('Someone's being rather protective, hmm?' said Bakura significantly. Ryou pointedly ignored him.)

'Who do you think you are?'

'None of us are going to accomplish anything by bickering,' Ryou interrupted firmly. 'We'll all go. If it makes you feel any better, Yami, you can hold Yugi's hand.' He rose from the table and smiled serenely. 'I'm leaving in a quarter of an hour. If you're not ready to go, I'll bribe Bakura to drag you out by your tongue.'

And with that, he left the room. Bakura leaned across the table and seized his newspaper, making a small noise of triumph when he found the crosswords untouched.

True to his word, Ryou was waiting just outside the front door, a roughly made leather bag slung over his shoulder, fifteen minutes later. In his hands was a battered scrap of paper: a map, which he was looking over carefully. Bakura was peering over his shoulder.

'You can't take that path any more,' he said, stabbing at the map with a fingertip. 'See that mountain there? There's been a rockslide in the last couple of years. That whole section of the path's blocked off.'

'You don't use maps.'

'I'm gifted,' he glanced at Yami and Yugi as they approached, Yugi looking excited, Yami fuming. 'Glad you could make it,' he chirruped mockingly.

Yami merely glowered at a potted plant that sat on the front step.

'This is where we'll be going,' Ryou told Yugi, snatching the map away from Bakura and holding it out to him.

The map was unlike anything Yugi had ever seen. Hand drawn on heavy, yellowed paper in faded ink; the map was comprised of a series of criss-crossing lines. Over that, in another shade of ink was a pattern of swirling lines, swelling and flattening like waves on the sand. Then over that, in yet another colour, was... writing. Slim, graceful letters glided over the peaks of the curving lines.

'Why do they shine?' Yugi asked, blinking at the lettering.

'...What?' Ryou asked. Yami and Bakura were suddenly watching Yugi very closely. 'You can see it?'

'Only if I do this,' Yugi moved his head from side to side, looking at the map from the corner of his eyes. 'It kind of hurts.' He blinked again and rubbed his eyes. Then he noticed how the others were staring at him. '...What?'

Ryou glanced at Bakura, who shrugged. Yami was still watching Yugi very closely; it was making Yugi slightly uncomfortable.

'Nothing,' said Ryou, hitching his smile back into place. He shrugged his bag into a more comfortable position over his shoulder. 'We should get moving.'

With that, he turned and set off down the cobbled path to his front gate, Bakura following closely behind him.

Yugi took a deep breath; the air smelled of dark, wet earth and wallflowers, and the breeze was cool. He glanced sideways at Yami, who was still gazing at him thoughtfully.

'Are you planning on going?' he asked, folding his arms lightly across his chest.

Yami started. His eyebrows drew together in a frown, but only for a moment.

'After you,' he said, voice and expression neutral.

Outside Ryou's front gate was a narrow road, leading away to the town proper. Across the road, winding through a sparse, dripping forest, was a packed earth track. It meandered along, as the trees became steadily denser, blocking the light from the sun. Where the sunlight through the branches was barely more than a few watery trickles, the path suddenly dipped toward a creek. Beside it, Ryou called them to a halt.

'This is where we cross over,' he said, raising his voice to be heard over the roar of water over rock. He waved the map for emphasis. 'Have you ever come this way, Yami?'

'No.'

Ryou handed him the map. 'You can only go through two at a time,' he explained. 'Bakura and I will meet you...' he tapped a point on the map, 'just there. Can I trust you not to loose Yugi?' He ignored Yami's glare at the dig, and smiled. 'I'll see you soon, then.'

He turned on his heel and returned to where Bakura stood, at the very edge of the water. They spoke together for a moment; their words were drowned by the noise of the creek. With Bakura in the lead, they began to make their way across the creek, leaping from one mossy stone to another.

And then they were gone.

Yugi blinked. 'That's it?'

'What were you expecting?' Yami asked him, grinning wryly. He perused the map, occasionally running a finger under the strange words and frowning, as though he had trouble reading them. Finally, he nodded to himself and moved toward the very edge of the creek, beckoning Yugi to follow him.

The rocks were slippery under their feet, and the water lapped at their toes. Yugi studied the place between two rocks where Bakura and Ryou had vanished, then, seeing nothing,turned his head to watch Yami expectantly.

'To reach the Other Place,' Yami said, glancing down at the map again, 'you must recite a spell... I'll do that today, you need to get used to the motion.' (Yugi wondered what he meant). 'The spell is meant to open a passage between here and the Other Place.'

'And we just... jump through?' Yugi asked a little apprehensively.

'That's right,' Yami hesitated for a moment. Then, very slowly, he reached down and took Yugi's hand. 'If you're not saying the spell, you have to be in contact with someone who is,' he muttered, cheeks reddening, in response to Yugi's questioning look. He took a slow, deliberate breath. 'Are you ready?' he asked briskly.

Yugi nodded.

'Try to keep up,' Yami instructed, gripping Yugi's hand.

A sharp tug at his hand was all the warning Yami gave before he leapt from the bank and onto the first rock, pulling Yugi with him. Without pausing, he leapt, catlike, to the next stone, and the next, and the next, muttering strange words under his breath all the while. It was all Yugi could do to keep his balance.

Soon, they reached the stone in the middle of the river. As before, they sprang almost immediately toward the next rock, but this time, above the water between one stone and the next, Yugi felt a sudden sharp pull. He gasped, clutched reflexively at Yami's hand and stared down. Several tiny, pale hands were grasping his feet, his ankles, his legs -- and suddenly, with a stomach-jolting motion, his feet connected with solid ground. The hands were gone. He stumbled slightly, still gazing wildly at the earth.

'What was that?' he asked croakily.

'They,' Yami corrected him, straightening his shirt with one hand (the other was still being gripped by Yugi). 'They were the sons of the road.' Yugi looked at him quizzically, and he smiled indulgently. 'The road to the Other Place calls to your feet. When you say the spell, you're calling back.'

He began to walk, pulling Yugi with him.

'Ryou and Bakura are a little further along this way,' he waved the map vaguely in the direction they were heading.

As they walked, Yugi took a moment to look around them. He felt as though he were walking through a dream: the landscape was at once familiar and alien. The Other Place was like home, but only until examined closely; it was then that Yugi realised the colours were too rich, the light too golden, the scent of flowers and earthtoo heavy on the warm breeze. Ahead of them was a crossroads. At the point where the road forked, there was a scaffold and a gallows. Atop the gallows sat a crow, slick feathersgleaming oily green in the sun.

On the steps of the scaffold, Ryou and Bakura sat waiting, the crow watching them imperiously through a yellow-green glare. Every now and again, Ryou would cast a suspicious backward glance at it.

'There you are,' Bakura called. 'What took you so long?'

Ryou forced a soft smile at Yami and Yugi as they approached, and rose. 'There's been a change of plan,' he said carefully. 'We'll go to Tisèn, instead.' His eyes flickered toward the crow. Yami frowned and glanced at the bird. It hopped closer and tilted its head. 'It's an extra hour, but if we hurry...'

Silently, Yami pressed the map into Yugi's hands, tracing the path they would take with a fingertip.

'Why the sudden change?' he asked lightly, as they began to walk. He saw the crow glide after them, almost invisible in the shadows of the trees.

'I remembered that the herb I wanted doesn't grow near Ènyuil,' Ryou told him, watching as Bakura casually stooped to pluck a few smooth, flat stones from the path.

'What do you need the herb for?' Bakura asked.

The road curved, and now they were walking beside a river, flowing swift and proud over a bed of dazzling white stones.

'For tea,' Ryou answered.

Bakura snorted and paused to skim one of his stones across the surface of the river. They watched it skip once, twice, and splash prettily into the river on the fifth skip.

'You're really good,' commented Yugi, smiling up at Bakura.

In reply, he grinned wolfishly and selected another stone, running a finger down its edge. He tossed it in his hand, took aim-- and, faster than Yugi's eyes could follow, whirled on his heel, launching the stone into the trees behind them.

There was a sickening crunch, a strangled caw, and a dull thud.

'Yes, I am,' he agreed lazily.

Several kilometers further along its length, the road to Tisèn divided in two. One of the paths continued its run alongside the river, all the way to Tisèn. The other, a much smaller, rougher path, delved away into the forest, rapidly becoming hidden by thick overhanging tree branches. As Yami had shown Yugi on the map, it doubled back toward Ènyuil, though it added an extra two hours to the journey. Bakura led the group, and Yami brought up the rear, walking close and alert behind Yugi.

'I'm sorry Yugi,' Ryou said apologetically, as he carefully held a branch so that it couldn't snap in his face. 'It's not fair to throw you in the deep end like this.'

A little way back, Yami snorted derisively.

'I said we shouldn't bring him.'

Yugi frowned, swallowed a retort and told Ryou, as calmly as he was able, 'Don't worry about it.'

Minute after minute, the path became more difficult. The ground, already uneven and strewn with sharp stones, dove into a steep slope. Evilly thorny branches hung across the path, and soon, despite their best efforts, their clothes were torn and their faces scratched.

'They call the thorns tyuli,' Yami told Yugi, as they both stopped a moment to disentangle themselves from the long, cruelly hooked thorns. 'They're weeds that grow naturally --' he hissed as a tiny branch snapped around and slapped him across the face, 'but the lithouèn often grow them around their palaces and temples; they dip the thorns in poison.'

Within half an hour, both Yugi's ankles had been twisted rather badly. His muscles, frustratingly weakened from all the time he'd spent unconscious, were protesting violently. He grit his teeth and said nothing.

Finally, finally, the path evened out, and the thorns receded. Ahead, just visible through the trees, was a market. People, all gracefully built and moving like dancers through the maze of stalls, their voices rose and fell like music.

Their path widened, and they were able to walk side by side again. Ryou called them to a stop. Yugi ambled over to a tree and discretely sank to the ground in its shade.

'Do you see that statue?' Ryou asked, pointing at a slender figure hewn from granite. It was just visible through the crowd. 'We'll meet there in two hours. Try not to be too late, or it'll be dark before we get out of here.' He smiled and hoisted his bag into a more comfortable position over his shoulder, and, with a small wave, he left the path and vanished into the crowd.

Bakura stood still a moment longer, watching the crowd predatorily.

'You're not,' said Yami, in mild disgust.

'And what if I am?' Bakura asked coolly, eyes never once leaving the throng of people. After a few seconds, a small smirk began to bloom across his face. Without a backward glance, he dove forward and disappeared from sight. Yami watched him go, and then approached Yugi, who had settled against the trunk of the tree with his eyes closed.

'Are you alright?'

Yugi looked up at him. 'Yes.' At Yami's disbelieving look, he rolled his eyes. 'Yes,' he repeated forcefully. 'It's hot. I wanted to take a breather.'

One eyebrow raised in mute disbelief, Yami shrugged and turned back to the market.

'Are you coming?' he asked over his shoulder.

'Just a minute,' Yugi replied, hauling himself to his feet. The muscles in his legs clenched horribly; he had to bite his tongue to keep from making a sound.

Once upright, he followed Yami into the market. Immediately, his senses were assaulted by a cacophony of sound, scent, colour. Almost enough to make him reel.

'Wow,' he muttered, and caught Yami smirking at him out of the corner of his eye.

'This way.'

They wound through the market; past stalls laden with everything from dried herbs and produce to finely woven cloth and jewellery. Yami stopped a short way from what looked like an unused temple. He glanced around, then, beckoning Yugi to follow, strode nonchalantly down a narrow alleyway.

Tucked away in the shadows was a dusty stall. Objects crafted from beaten gold, clay pots filled with herbs, potions labelled in a spidery lettering cluttered almost every available surface. A young man leant heavily against the stall, watching the activity in the market wistfully.

'Malik,' Yami greeted him.

The young man glanced at them, flicked his hand in a vague kind of wave, and smiled affably.

'Kuimn,' he said, almost to himself, before disappearing behind a flap of canvas. Yugi could hear him muttering to himself and moving boxes and jars around. He glanced questioningly at Yami.

'Wait a moment,' he murmured.

Seconds later, Malik reappeared, a smallearthenware jar cradled in the palm of his hand. He set it down, and looked back to Yami, still smiling.

'Who's your friend?' he asked, as if continuing a conversation. He jerked his head toward Yugi, earrings jangling merrily.

Yami put a hand on Yugi's shoulder and pushed him forward a little. 'This is Yugi,' he said. 'He's...' he made a subtle gesture with his left hand.

'One of yours? I thought as much,' Malik nodded and held out a hand to Yugi, who took it unhesitatingly. 'Nice to meet you. Are you staying long?' he asked, a hopeful note in his voice.

'You've been left alone, haven't you?' Yami grinned.

Malik heaved a theatrical sigh and nodded morosely. 'Always the same. Sunny day and I'm left here watching the only shop in town that no one ever visits. Five for the kuimn, by the way.'

While Yami dug in a pocket, Yugi regarded the jar curiously.

'Excuse me,' he asked. 'What's ...kuimn?'

'You drink it,' Malik told him, taking a fistful of coins from Yami. 'It's got herbs in it. Good substitute for the red stuff.' He shook his head. 'We get some weird people coming here, but it's not often you meet a vegetarian vampire.'

Yami snorted, picking up the kuimn jar. 'I'm not a vegetarian,' his voice took on a bitter tone. 'You're talking to the proof of that.' He frowned darkly 'Anyway. You can't live on kuimn. I've tried. It's only good if you're planning on hunting soon.' As he spoke, he was wrestling with the lid of the kuimn jar. Eventually, he pulled it free. Yugi could see a dark brown liquid sloshing in the jar. It gave off a heavy, unpleasant scent. Yami held out the jar to him. 'Have a mouthful of that.'

'You're joking.'

'No. Drink it. It's good for you.'

'Whatever you say.'

'It is,' Yami insisted. He noticed Malik watching them out of the corner of his eye; chin resting in his hand and a small smirk tugging the corners of his lips. 'I'm taking you hunting tonight. You'll need the energy.'

Yugi looked from the jar to Yami and back again, distaste written openly on his face. Yami sighed in frustration. Seeing that he was reaching the end of his patience, Yugi took the jar and took a gulp of the liquid. He gagged; it tasted foul. Malik laughed at his expression.

'Why doesn't anyone visit your store?' Yugi asked, once he was certain he wasn't going to throw the kuimn back up.

Malik sobered abruptly. 'Because my family and I are sympathetic to vampires, among other things. Speaking of sympathisers, you'd be staying at Ryou's, wouldn't you?' He nodded decisively. 'I've been meaning to visit him. You might be seeing me again in a couple of days,' he grimaced dramatically. 'If I survive taking care of this stupid--' He broke off to growling.

'See you soon, then,' said Yami, turning and leading Yugi away.

This chapter was really hard to write (I hate the ending. Too abrupt). I apologise for how late it was, but I do have a good reason: school. Things are getting a little hectic at the moment. That, and suddenly the plot's kicked into gear. Anyway, there are several scenes that I wrote in this that I've taken out (oh my God, it might've been even longer). Below is the one I would've liked to keep in the story the most. It starts after Yami says: 'No. You're not going.'

'I told you last night that--!'

'You're staying here.'

Never one to be ignored, Bakura nudged Ryou in the ribs. 'Maybe we should give them some... alone time,' he said suggestively.

'Shh!' hissed Ryou. 'Don't make it any worse.'

'You didn't let me finish!'

'I know what you're going to say, and I'll tell you again, you can't help.'

'Why not?'

'You're too young, too weak and too inexperienced! You're a child!'

'...That's what you think?' Yugi asked softly, eyes dewy with sudden tears. A pink tinge had appeared on his cheeks. Without another word, he pushed back his chair and quit the room. A few moments later, they heard the door to his and Yami's room close.

'That struck a nerve,' said Bakura smugly. He ignored Yami's snarl.

'I'll go talk to him,' said Ryou wearily. 'Can I trust you two adults not to kill one another?'

'That was a cheap shot,' noted Bakura. He seized Ryou's newspaper. 'Can I have the crosswords?'

'Fine, fine,' Ryou waved him off and followed Yugi upstairs.

'Since when did you ask permission?' asked Yami.

'Since when did you make kids cry?'

Yami bit his tongue and stormed from the room.

Alone at last, thought Bakura and hummed a little tune as he started on the crossword.